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When you finally grow up and stop drinking espresso martinis, try this bourbon drink.
Some cocktails take a whole afternoon of tinkering. The Paper Plane takes about a minute, and it tastes like you worked much harder than that. It’s four ingredients in equal parts: bourbon, Aperol, Amaro Nonino and fresh lemon juice. You shake them hard and pour into a chilled coupe. It’s bittersweet and bright with a little honeyed warmth underneath, and it’s the drink I make most once the evenings turn cool.
What is a Paper Plane?
Bartender Sam Ross created the Paper Plane in the late 2000s. It’s a modern classic in the same family as the Last Word, where equal parts make a balanced drink. The bourbon gives it backbone, the Aperol adds bitter orange, the Amaro Nonino brings a soft, caramel-and-orange-peel sweetness, and the lemon keeps it all lively. Nothing dominates, and that’s why it works.
Paper Plane cocktail recipe
Makes 1 drink
- 3/4 oz bourbon
- 3/4 oz Aperol
- 3/4 oz Amaro Nonino Quintessentia
- 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
- Ice, for shaking
How to make it
- Chill your coupe. Fill it with ice water while you build the drink.
- Measure everything. With equal parts, accuracy matters. A jigger with a clear 3/4 oz line makes this easy.
- Shake hard. Fill the shaker tins with ice, seal them, and shake for 12 to 15 seconds, until the outside is frosty.
- Strain and serve. Dump the ice water from the coupe and strain the drink in. Serve it up, with no ice in the glass.
Tips for a better Paper Plane
- Squeeze your lemon fresh. Bottled juice flattens the whole drink.
- Use a mid-proof bourbon. Something around 90 to 100 proof stands up to the amaro without taking over.
- Don’t swap the amaro casually. Nonino is lighter and sweeter than most amari. If you substitute, expect a darker, more bitter drink.
- Skip the garnish, or have fun with it. The classic has none. A tiny paper plane clipped to the rim is a nice touch when friends are over.
The tools I use
- Barfly Diamond Lattice Shaker Set, Stainless Steel: a 28 oz and an 18 oz tin that seal tight and come apart easily after a hard shake.
- Barfly 1 x 2 oz. Diamond Lattice Japanese Style Jigger, Gun Metal Black: it has a marked 3/4 oz line inside, which is exactly what this recipe needs.
- Barfly Diamond Lattice Heavy Duty Spring Bar Strainer, Stainless Steel: a two-prong Hawthorne-style strainer that fits snugly on the shaker tin.
- Libbey Signature Kentfield Coupe Cocktail Glasses, Set of 4: a classic tall-stemmed coupe, the right glass for a drink served up.
Paper Plane FAQ
What does a Paper Plane taste like?
It’s bittersweet and citrusy, with bourbon warmth and a soft orange-caramel finish. Think of a whiskey sour with more depth.
Can I use Campari instead of Aperol?
You can, but the drink gets much more bitter and much redder. Aperol keeps it bright and easy to drink.
Is it served on the rocks or up?
It’s served up, in a chilled coupe.
Make one tonight, then make a second for whoever wanders into the kitchen. That’s the whole point of a drink like this. Cheers.
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